q&a

Most of my first-time consultations ask me the same or very similar questions – so I thought it would be fun to do a “e-consultation.” Learn a little more about me, how I do business, and my relationships with my clients. It got a bit lengthy but look for the bold headings to see if I answered your question. If I didn’t – e-mail it to me and I’ll answer it on my blog and/via e-mail!

Before I get answer the tough questions, I wanted to share a few things that I think are important. I can’t get this overly cheesy during an in-person consultation but I can when I’m on the web!

It might surprise you to know that after 3 years in business, I still get butterflies before a wedding. I feel like every one of my weddings is my first…because it’s your first. Your day is so important to you, your parents, your family and your friends…so it’s important to me. There are no do overs, and that is my motivation to make sure your day is executed successfully and gives you loving memories to last a lifetime.

I’m not here to take over – I’m not here to replace the help and support from your mom and friends. I’m here to take all the stress, confusion, questions, requests and ideas and hand back the perfectly planned wedding.

I’m a bit of a romantic. You kind of have to be to work in this industry. I’m in love with love…so I appreciate every little thing you will do and go through as you plan your lives together. It is always my goal to keep your love front and center during the wedding planning process. I try to remind my couples that, as important as the wedding is – don’t get so busy planning the wedding that you forget to plan the marriage.

I’m here to be what you need me to be through the process. I’ll give you tough love; I’ll be your best friend; I’ll be your neutral ground. I won’t love all of your ideas. You won’t love all of mine. It’s what we create – as a team – that will be spectacular.

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How and why did you start your business?

So Chic officially started in 2007. My background is in nonprofit event planning so event planning was a natural fit. I went into bridal because, after working in a bridal store for 3 years and planning my own wedding, I noticed a huge gap in resources in our market. I would want something for my own wedding but couldn’t find it – so I did it on my own. So, I combined my event planning background with my knowledge of the bridal market – and So Chic was started.

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

That’s hard to pin down – because I love so many elements. I love the relationships I build with my clients. I love that we become “partners in crime” through the process. I love that I can have fun with them and with their bridal party. I love being the “problem solver” – the one they come to if something needs done. I love using my creativity to design the event, select flowers and linens, work with lighting, and tying the details together. I love seeing the relief on a mother-of-the-bride’s face when we go to deliver the wedding gifts, return the rental items, or just hand her a tissue. I love being able to anticipate what people need and being the one to provide it. I love it all – from the logistics to the creativity and, most especially, the relationships.

What credentials do you have?

In addition to having been in the event planning field for 9 years, I also hold the designation of Professional Bridal Consultant™ through the Association of Bridal Consultants. So Chic is also a fully-insured event planning company (this is a very rare, but very important thing to know. If you are talking with other planners, you should ask if they have professional liability or E&O insurance. I believe it’s an important professional credential).

What kind of packages do you offer?

We offer everything from individual consultations to help kick-start the process and share ideas to day-of coordination where we take care of every detail big and small throughout your big day to full-service coordination where we’re intimately involved in every detail. Pricing and packages are always customized based on your budget and your needs.

What do you usually do during the wedding?

Through the planning process, I am involved in all of the various elements. When the week of the wedding arrives – I’m confirming vendors, running errands for you, delivering final payments, assembling out of town bags and anything else that needs to be done. My team and I are always at your rehearsal to get a feel for how the ceremony will run, assemble the bridal party (especially the rambunctious groomsmen), and just be a part of it. If you’re getting married in a church, the officiant or church coordinator often runs rehearsal. If you’re getting married elsewhere – I often run rehearsal – lining people up, telling them where to stand, etc. On wedding day – my team and I are around from start to finish. Our typical wedding day starts around 8:30 a.m. setting up the reception – then we head to the ceremony – then back to the reception. During the reception, we’ll deliver gifts, make sure everything is happening when it needs to, and working with the catering staff to ensure everything is smooth. We stay until the very end of the reception to help clean things up, return rental items and much more. Our team has never had a wedding day last less than 15 hours.

I’m on a limited budget and I’m not sure I can afford a planner. Can I?

Absolutely!! I LOVE working with a budget! I don’t view it as a challenge or as a set-back or anything of the sort. I actually look at it as an opportunity to get creative about how and where we spend the money. Sometimes, unlimited budgets stifle creativity because you’ll say “this is what I want” and then you get it. Instead, with a budget, you say “this is what I want – how can I make it happen for my price point?” and then the creativity happens and sometimes you end up with a product even better than it started. A good wedding planner can save 10-30% on any given item just from their experience and relationships. Truly, in the end, we can save you enough to pay for our services.

Okay, so we want to hire you, where do we go from here?

Once we decide to work together, I’ll take some pictures or ideas that you’ve given me and will design an “inspiration board” of pictures that we can use as we move forward. This gives us a vision of how the overall event will take shape and allows us to move toward that vision. Also, after our initial consultation – I’ll figure out what the next “critical elements” are for us to tackle based on the timeline and we’ll start working on those.